Sailor Moon: Sword of the Lunarius
by Moonchampion
Summary: Rubeus has come across a very powerful weapon that is strong enough to destroy the Sailor Scouts. Also, the identity of the Wiseman is revealed. You won't believe who it is
1. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, or any of its original characters. However, the characters of my creation belong to me, and cannot be used without my permission.

****

Sailor Moon:

Siblings of the Moon Saga

Part VI

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This story begins during the tales of the Nega-Moon. Rini has come back into the past, and the Sailor Scouts have already learned their new attacks. However, Rini does not yet know their true identities.

"Come here you little Brat!" exclaimed Serena as she chased Rini around the pool. The short pink-haired girl sprinted around the pool waving Serena's bathing suit in the air, as if it were a flag. The Luna Ball hovered just behind Rini with Serena closely following, only covered by a towel.

"Ha ha! You can't catch me meatball head!" proclaimed Rini as she raced past the others. Lita and Mina were laying in beach chairs, poolside, working on their tans. Amy was sitting under an umbrella reading a book. She looked up as Rini and Serena ran past her. Raye and Erick stopped splashing each other long enough to see Rini diving directly towards Erick. Erick reached up just in time to catch Rini before she landed in the pool.

He held her above his head and smiled. Serena was only seconds behind. She dove into the air and was heading straight towards Erick and Rini. Erick cradled Rini in his arms and dove under water. Serena flew completely over their heads and landed in the pool. Erick and Rini brought their heads up to see Serena slowly emerging from the pool with her hand outstretched.

Erick looked at Rini whom was handing him the bathing suit. "Now, Rini, you're going to have to stop teasing Serena so much," said Erick. He took the bathing suit and handed it to Serena. She jerked the bathing suit from his hand and held the towel closely to her body as she climbed out of the pool.

Serena turned back once more, scowling at Rini. Rini pulled the skin under her eye down and extended her tongue at Serena. Serena's face went blood red with anger. Fighting the urge to strangle the young visitor from the future, she stomped back towards the dressing room to get dressed.

Erick sat Rini on the side of the pool. Rini grabbed Luna Ball and began to bounce it. "Luna Ball Magic! Give me an air mattress!" The cat-shaped ball exploded into a pink puff of smoke and an air mattress appeared in the pool, with a glass of iced pink lemonade on the arm of the mattress. Rini swam towards the mattress and placed her pink sunglasses over her eyes as she climbed into mattress. She lay back and sipped the lemonade as she floated on the pool.

"Where is that little brat?" said Serena through clenched teeth. She was still furious, but now she was armed with an extremely large Super Soaker water gun. The maniacal smile on her face showed that there was no use reasoning with her. However, that didn't stop her friends from trying.

"Serena calm down," said Lita rising from her chair. "She's just a little girl. She was only trying to have some fun."

"Yeah. You can't really blame her," added Mina. "I mean she's been through a lot. Especially with those creeps from the Nega-Moon after her."

"Traitors!" exclaimed Serena. "You're siding with that little pink twerp. I thought you were my friends." Serena began to sob as tears filled her eyes.

"Oh give it a rest Serena!" scorned Raye. "You're such a big baby! I mean she's just a little girl, and she's acting more grown up than you are!"

"Oh no," said Amy as she shifted her umbrella towards her friends, so that she was hidden behind it.

"That does it!" shouted Serena. She aimed the Super Soaker at Raye and fired full blast. Raye put up her hands to block the stream of water that was showering her. Then, Serena turned towards Mina and Lita who were pulling out water guns from under their beach chairs. However, Serena managed to nail both of them before they could fire on her.

"All right, Serena," said Erick as he climbed out of the pool. "I think it's time to knock off…." Before Erick could finish his sentence, Serena fired the Super Soaker at his face. Erick stumbled backwards and into the pool. When he reached the surface of the water again, he realized that Serena was cheering, and the other girls (except Amy) were all drenched. Even Rini was now in the pool, and frowning at Serena.

"Get her!" exclaimed Erick. Mina and Lita fired their water guns at Serena, while Erick, Raye and Rini all splashed water at her from the pool. Serena eventually dove into the water for safety. Mina and Lita dove in with their water guns, still pursuing Serena. 

Everyone continued to splash each other until they realized Amy was still sitting behind umbrella, completely dry. They looked at each other and nodded in agreement. "Hey Amy," called Serena. "Why don't you join us?"

"That's okay," replied Amy. "I'm just fine right here."

Serena climbed out of the pool, and approached Amy's umbrella. She covered her mouth to keep the giggles from escaping. She looked back towards the pool, where everyone was waiting to get Amy wet. "Surpri-…" began Serena as she pulled the umbrella away.

Amy had been standing behind the umbrella with a huge water cannon, obviously anticipating such an attack by her friends. Serena tried to turn and run, but it was useless. Amy nailed Serena from behind, and sent Serena flying back into the pool. Amy stood up, and fired at the rest of her friends. Before long, everyone was soaked and laughing at the fun they had together.

Above the city, and unnoticed by the public, a large crystal-shape spaceship hovered in place. Aboard the ship, were the agents of the future Nega-Moon. They were sent to the present to capture Rini, the silver crystal and to secure Crystal Tokyo. Rubeus had led the Four Sisters of the Nega-Moon (Catzi, Bertie, Avery and Prizma) to the present. Thus far, they have been unable to succeed in any of their objectives. Time and the patience of their superiors are running out.

"Move out of the way!" shouted Catzi as she pushed Bertie from the front of the mirror. "It's my mirror. Besides you'd only be wasting your time. There's no way you could ever measure up to my beauty."

"Oh really," countered Bertie. "From what I can see, you need the mirror so that you can cover up those wrinkles." Bertie pushed Catzi's face out of view. Just as she started to gaze upon her reflection, two pairs of arms thrust her back as Avery and Prizma attempted to stand in front of the mirror.

"Out of the way little one," chimed Prizma. She started to put the lipstick on her lips as Avery nudged her way into view. "We don't have time to wait for you to finish playing dress-up."

"Yeah," Avery agreed. "Some of us actually have dates without a 7 o'clock curfew." Avery and Prizma laughed briefly at the joke before resuming to fight each other for the position in front of the mirror. Within seconds, all four of the girls were fighting each other for the spot in front of the mirror. The shrieks and screams filling the room accompanied the sight of hair being pulled and sharp nails clawing at faces.

Rubeus, whom had been watching, quickly grew tired of the sight. He rose and exited the room. He entered a room, which was completely empty except for the circular design (much like the ship's shape) that was in the center of the floor. As Rubeus entered the room, the circular design began to glow. Suddenly, the life-size image of a cloaked figure waving his arms above a crystal ball appeared. It was the Wiseman.

"Well, Rebeus," said the Wiseman, "do you have anything new to report?" The holographic projection of the Wiseman flickered briefly out of image before retaining its sharp representation. As the Wiseman waited for a response, he waved his hands over the globe.

"Sir, I'm sorry to report that we still haven't been able to capture the girl or the crystal. Nor have we been able to secure any of the points of Crystal Tokyo. However, I assure you that…" Rebeus reported before the Wiseman interrupted.

"So, you have failed!" the Wiseman scorned. Rubeus had taken a few steps back. The image continued to stare at Rubeus. Even though the face was hidden, Rubeus could feel the cold stare of the Wiseman. "Listen Rubeus, despite your constant failure, Prince Diamond has decided to give you al little help to make things easier."

From the image of the Wiseman, a sword flickered into view. Its blade was thin, straight, and also black. The handle was made of gold. Rubeus looked upon the image with awe. "This is the sword of Lunarius, the original King of the Moon Kingdom. He was from the dark side of the moon. He married Queen Serenity, and ended the constant battle between good and evil to bring about the Silver Millenium. They had two children: Princess Serenity and Prince Erick. However, some threat arose on the eve of Queen Beryl's attack and claimed the life of Lunarius.

"His blade, which contains immense power was lost during that battle. If you find this blade Rubeus, success will be all but guaranteed. You will be able to finally complete your mission."

Rubeus's eyes were gleaming at the beauty of the sword. "If the sword belonged to the ruler of the Moon Kingdom, why would it respond to evil commands? Such power could not possibly be so easy for us to control."

"You fool!" said the Wiseman. "Don't you understand? King Lunarius was the most evil tyrant ever to walk the stars. It was only some foolish love that he had for Queen Serenity that made his dark power waiver. The sword's power is rooted in evil. That is why he was so easily killed before the Negaverse's attack."

"Very well, sir. I am convinced. However, I have only one question. Where is this sword?" asked Rubeus.

"If I had known that you fool, I would have the sword already!" said the Wiseman. "Nevertheless, the sword is on Earth. I assume it got there when Queen Serenity sent her entire kingdom to Earth." The Wiseman began to move his hands over the crystal globe once again. Rubeus sat there watching him intensely. "Ah, yes," hissed the Wiseman. "You must be at the center of Crystal Tokyo at the next new moon. The sword will reveal itself to the eyes of evil and to the eyes of Lunarius's heirs.

"Make sure that you get the sword, Rubeus. Do not fail again," said the Wiseman. Then, his image flickered away, leaving Rubeus in the chamber alone.

"Finally, the Sailor Scouts will be crushed. Sailor Moon and Lunar Knight will be crushed by sword of their own father." Rubeus began to laugh as the eve approached. For tonight the new moon would appear.

After leaving the pool, the girls had decided to head over to Raye's temple. The girls were waiting for Erick and Rini to return with ice cream. After Erick and Rini exited the ice cream shop, they headed towards the temple. 

"Hey, Rini," started Erick, "I've noticed you always said the Sailor Scouts of the future protected you. I was wondering, is there a Lunar Knight in the future?"

Rini was skipping along side him licking her ice cream. As the Luna Ball bounced along side her in the air, she paused for a second. "No. The first time I saw him was here in the present."

Erick stopped for a moment too. He looked at Rini with a startled look on his face. "Well does you parents have any brothers or sisters?" asked Erick.

"Well, my mother used to have a brother, but he died before I was born. She said he died protecting her," reported Rini. Erick slightly upset nodded, and they proceeded towards the temple.

Once they were at the foot of the steps, and about to climb up a mystical sound began to grow in the air. Erick and Rini paused and looked around them. Then, a bright light flashed over their heads. They looked up to see a halo of light shining above them. Then, they saw something come down from the center of it.

It was a woman, and she was wearing what looked like a Sailor Scout uniform. Her hair was long and black, and she carried a staff with a large red globe on one end. She was definitely older than the other scouts were and very beautiful. Erick stared at her face, as she descended to the ground. There was something familiar about her.

"Sailor Pluto!" shouted Rini as she dashed towards the lady. The woman opened her eyes upon Rini first. A smile appeared across her face as she kneeled and embraced Rini. "Are you here to take me home? Is everything okay now?"

The smile disappeared after hearing the questions. "I'm sorry, Small Lady, but I'm not here to take you home. Your home is still under attack," said Sailor Pluto.

"Uh, Rini," said Erick, "Why don't you go and gives these to Serena and the others. I need to talk with your friend for a moment." Rini nodded and grabbed the ice creams as she dashed up the stairs with Luna Ball floating behind her.

"I'm sorry, but I have this feeling that we've met before," said Erick. He looked at Pluto's eyes, which seemed to be gleaming with hope. Then, she turned away, as if the sight upset her.

"Is something wrong?" asked Erick. He began to put his arm on her shoulder. Sailor Pluto noticed and quickly turned to avoid his touch. Taken aback by her movements, Erick took a step back. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"No, it's okay," said Sailor Pluto. "I was just surprised that you said you remembered me." She stared at Erick. Her eyes were filled with hope. Erick continued to gaze at her. There was something familiar about her, but what? Erick shook his head slowly. "You don't remember me do you?"

"It's just a feeling. Nothing specific. I'm sorry," he apologized.

"No, I understand. Your memory of most of your life on the Moon Kingdom is probably gone," said Sailor Pluto. "However, that's not why I'm here. I need your help."

"All right, let me get the other scouts, and then we can…" started Erick.

"No. Not them. Just you," responded Pluto. "They have to remain here to stop the threat in the present. I must take you to stop the threat in the future."

Erick sighed. "Why me?" he asked.

"Because," started Pluto. "You're the only one that can stop this villain. Only your power and skills have a chance at stopping him."

"What about the Sailor Scouts of the future. Surely they have to power to stop this threat you're talking about," said Erick.

"No, they don't, because this is the same threat that they are fighting now. Therefore, you are their last hope. Please, don't turn your back on them. If not for them, then do it for Rini," suggested Sailor Pluto.

"Very well, I'll go," agreed Erick. Then he lifted his hand into the air, and shouted, "Moon… Crystal… Power!" Erick's chest began to glow, and then a flash of light engulfed his body. When the light diminished, Lunar Knight stood before Sailor Pluto. His red cape being carried by the wind, as the street light reflected off of his armor. "I'm ready. Let's go."

Sailor Pluto nodded and raised her staff into the air. The same halo of light reappeared above them. Sailor Pluto and Lunar Knight were lifted into the air, and into the halo above them. The halo of light began to close and darkness reappeared on to scene.

At the top of the stairs, Rini led the group of girls to the point she had left Sailor Pluto and Erick. "Hey! Where did they go?" said Rini.

Serena looked at Amy. She shook her head. "Well, maybe they'll turn up later. Come on let's head back to Raye's room and wait for them," said Serena. The girls turned to look down the stairs once again, with an expression of worry on her face.

Lunar Knight and Sailor Pluto appeared in a dark setting. The floor seemed to be covered with mist. They proceeded to walk towards what looked like a golden gate, which extended far what seemed like miles. They paused in front of the gate, and looked at each other.

"This is the Gate of Time," said Sailor Pluto. "I cannot venture beyond this point. You are now on your own."

"What exactly do I have to do?" asked Lunar Knight.

"You must defeat the Wiseman. He is the real power behind the Nega-Moon. Chances are, that if you stop him, the threats in both your present in future will end," said Sailor Pluto.

Lunar Knight looked at the gate, and then back to Sailor Pluto. "You wouldn't happen to know, how I'm supposed to find the Wiseman would you?" he asked.

"The gate will take you where you need to be. I wish you look," she said.

Lunar Knight started to walk towards the gate, which had now opened. Then, he paused and turned around. "If anything happens, and I don't make it, would you…."

"Take care of Rini? Of course," finished Sailor Pluto.

"How did you know I was going to say that?" he asked.

"Because, I already made that promise to you before," she said.

Lunar Knight looked at Sailor Pluto's face. Tears were beginning to form around her eyes. "This is how the future version of me died, isn't it? He tried to stop the threat of the Nega-Moon before it attacked. He disappeared before the great battle that nearly destroyed Crystal Tokyo. That's why you asked me to fight."

Tears started to stream from Sailor Pluto's eyes. "You'll may never know how much it hurt me to lose you the first time. Then, to find you and lose you again…."

"What do you mean the first time?" asked Lunar Knight. "Then we have met, haven't we? It was during the Silver Millenium wasn't it?" Sailor Pluto was nodding. It was all she could do as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Who are you?"

Sailor Pluto raised her staff and the mist arose to cover her. When the mist had disappeared she was gone. Lunar Knight returned his attention to the open gate in front of him. He paused briefly, then stepped through the gate. After a brief flash of light, Lunar Knight found himself falling into nothing, but darkness.

"Where can he be?" said Serena as she paced the floor. "It's not like him to be gone this long. He should have called or something."

"You're right, Serena. This isn't like Erick. He's nothing like my old boyfriend Josh," said Lita. "Josh used to disappear days at a time and not even call. Why if ever got my hands on him again…." Everyone's eyes were now on Lita, and their faces should only shock. Lita chuckled nervously, and turned her attention back to the problem at hand.

"Maybe we should go and look for him," suggested Mina. "We can check the arcade, and some of the restaurants."

"I don't think that would do too much good," said Amy. "It's almost midnight, and I still can't get a lock on his communicator. Guys we may have to face the fact that Erick could be in trouble."

Tears started to bubble at Serena's eyes. Lita put her arm around Serena and tried to calm her down. Mina went and sat on the floor next to Raye's bed, where Rini was asleep. She stared at the ceiling and sighed.

Then, Raye slid the door open and stepped back inside. "Guys, I think you better check this out," she said, motioning them to come outside. The girls quickly rose to their feet and headed out the door. Raye had been standing outside waiting for hours to catch a glimpse of Erick rising over the steps, but he never came. Instead she managed to see a phenomenon, which had her worried.

"Is it Erick?" asked Serena hopefully.

"No, look," said Raye. Their eyes fell upon a bright light, emerging near the Starlight Towers. "I'm getting some really bad vibes from that light."

"Do you think it has anything to do with Erick?" asked Mina.

"I hope not, but we'd better check it out," responded Raye. "If he's there, then he's in danger."

The girls quickly transformed into their Sailor outfits and dashed down the stairs and towards the Starlight Towers. It took them a few minutes, but they never slowed down due to the chance that their teammate might be in danger. They finally reached the Starlight Towers to find a sight, which only made the situation worse. Before them stood, Rubeus and the Four Sisters.

"Ah, I'm so happy that you could join us, Sailor Brats," taunted Rubeus confidently. "You're just in time to see how powerful the Nega-Moon really is."

"We don't have time for one of your freak shows tonight!" said Sailor Venus.

"Yeah!" agreed Sailor Jupiter. "As far as we're concerned, your little production for tonight is out of business."

"You brats really don't know who're you're dealing with do you?" said Catzi. "Come on girls, let's go show them who're they're dealing with." Catzi leaped into the air and fired blue flames from her hands at the Sailor Scouts. The Scouts leaped away from the attack. Each of them landed, and appeared to be paired off with one of their foes. Sailor Mars was standing right in front of Catzi. Avery and Prizma were standing side by side across from Sailors Venus and Jupiter. Sailor Mercury stood opposite Bertie.

Sailor Moon had landed right in front of Rubeus and had drawn her Moon Scepter. "Give it up, Rubeus. We don't have time to put up with your nonsense right now," said Sailor Moon.

"Nonsense?" said Rubeus. "Little girl, I'm about to show you how serious this is," he responded. Rubeus leaped to into the center of the courtyard around the Towers. In the middle of the courtyard was a sword emerging from the ground. The sword's handle was gold and the blade black. "Now witness the true power of the Nega-Moon, Sailor Wimp!" Rubeus started to run for the blade.

Sailor Mars saw the sword and gasped. "Sailor Moon, don't let him get to that sword. It's filled with more evil energy than I've ever felt before," said Sailor Mars as she dodged another of Catzi's fire attacks.

Sailor Mercury heard Mars's warning and briefly activated her AV Goggles to scan the sword. Bertie fired and ice blast in her direction. "Mercury… Ice Bubbles… Freeze!" The bubbles created a thick cloud, which gave Sailor Mercury time to scan the sword. "She's right Sailor Moon. If Rubeus reaches that sword, then we've lost!"

Sailor Moon nodded and reached for her tiara resting on her forehead. "Moon… Tiara… Magic!" Sailor Moon threw the glowing Tiara past Rubeus hair. The tiara ricocheted off a tree and bounced off the next. The tiara kept going in this pattern faster and faster. Rubeus couldn't get past the tiara to reach the sword. "You're not going to make it to the sword that easily, Rubeus."

Rubeus's anger began to grow as he watch the tiara bounce off each tree at incredible speeds, preventing him from reaching the sword. Rubeus leaped into the air. "So you want play games, huh? Well let's play tag!" Rubeus launched a series of energy balls, but not at Sailor Moon.

Sailor Moon looked up and traced the direction the balls were heading in. Then, she found their target. "Rini!" shouted Sailor Moon. She must have woken up and wondered off towards the mysterious light, expecting to find the other girls here. Sailor Moon started to dash towards Rini, but there was no way she would make it time.

"Tiara, stop those bombs!" she commanded. The tiara quickly changed directions, and proceeded to ricochet off the bombs, causing them to explode. Even as the tiara managed to destroy most of the bombs, there were to many to destroy them all, and Sailor Moon was too far away to save Rini.

Suddenly, Tuxedo Mask leaped down from the air and rescued Rini. He wrapped her in his arms and cape and leaped back up, high into the sky. The explosion of the bombs erupted underneath him. He landed safely a few feet away, with Sailor Moon finally arriving by their side.

"Thank you, Tuxedo Mask," said Sailor Moon. She turned to catch her tiara, and placed it on her forehead. "Oh no, Rubeus has the sword!"

Rubeus was laughing triumphantly as he pulled the sword out of the ground. He began to be surrounded by an aura of black energy. The other battles between the Sailor Scouts and the Four Sisters had ceased as they all stared at Rubeus.

"You too late, Sailor Moon!" he shouted. "The Sword of Lunarius is mine. Now, give me the girl, the Silver Crystal, and kneel before me. Then, I may decide to let you live long enough to kiss my feet."

Lunar Knight found himself in a dark chamber. He looked around, and found a figure squatting in the center of a single light hanging from above. Lunar Knight approached the single circle of light and drew the Lunar Saber.

"You're the Wiseman, aren't you?" he asked. "If you surrender now, and withdraw, your forces, I will not harm you."

The Wiseman laughed. "Foolish boy, you couldn't destroy me if you wanted to." The Wiseman raised his arm and fired black bolts of energy at Lunar Knight. Lunar Knight dodged the attack and attempted to swipe his sword at the Wiseman. As the blade was only a few inches from the Wiseman's skull, the Lunar Saber leaped from Lunar Knight's hand and crashed to the floor.

"What's going on hear?!" exclaimed Lunar Knight. He quickly got to the saber, and tried again. The Lunar Saber would not strike the Wiseman.

"You fool, the Lunar Saber would never strike me down," said the Wiseman.

Lunar Knight looked at the Wiseman in awe. Could he truly be that powerful? "Why not?" asked Lunar Knight.

"You haven't figured it out have you?" said the Wiseman. "The sword knows who I am, and it can never be used against me." The Wiseman stood to his feet, and pulled his hood back. Lunar Knight gasped at the sight of the Wiseman's face. How was it possible? Where his eyes telling the truth?

"Yes, that's right," said the Wiseman. "Now, you know why you can't strike me down with the Lunar Saber. Because I was its owner once before." The Wiseman chuckled at the disbelief on Lunar Knight's face. "It won't strike me down because it can't strike you down. And make no mistake about it, I… am… you."

TO BE CONTINUED…


	2. Default Chapter Title

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, or any of its original characters. However, the characters of my creation belong to me, and cannot be used without my permission.

****

Sailor Moon:

Siblings of the Moon Saga

Part VII

__

This story begins during the tales of the Nega-Moon. Rini has come back into the past, and the Sailor Scouts have already learned their new attacks. However, Rini does not yet know their true identities.

Sailor Moon held Rini tightly against her chest as she stared into the cold eyes of Rubeus. The evil villain was now surrounded by an aura of black energy waving the legendary Sword of Lunarius, the father of Princess Serena and Prince Erick, in her direction. The other Sailor Scouts, as well as the Four Sisters, were all staring at Rubeus as well. The sight was so amazing that they all seemed to be frozen in their tracks. It wasn't until Rubeus broke the silence that they remembered where they were.

"I am still waiting for you to surrender, Miss Moon," chimed Rubeus. "Don't be a fool. There is no way you can overcome the power of _this_ sword. Now, give me the crystal and the child, and you can live out your lives as my slaves."

Tuxedo Mask stepped forward and drew his cane. "You will never have the Silver Crystal or Rini! Do you understand, Rubeus?! You will never have either as long as I'm alive!" he proclaimed.

A sinister grin began to form on Rubeus' face. He turned his eyes towards Tuxedo Mask, who was definitely ready to fight to save those he cared about. "In that cast Tuxedo Mask, I suppose that it's time… for you to die!" said Rubeus as he leaped into the air. Rubeus raised the blade above his head, and started to bring the blade down on Tuxedo Mask.

Tuxedo Mask quickly leaped out of Rubeus' line of attack. When Rubeus landed on the ground Tuxedo Mask lunged towards him. Rubeus brought up his sword to block Tuxedo Mask's attack. The two warriors exchanged several blows as the chimes of their weapons filled air. After a long parry, the two warriors split apart and stared at each other. Tuxedo Mask's face was filled with determination, but there was also a hint of fatigue. Rubeus seemed more confident than ever as he gazed at his opponent.

"Tuxedo Mask! You're bleeding!" screamed Sailor Moon. A large blot of red had appeared on his white shirt. As Tuxedo Mask gazed at the spot, he fell to one knee. He took his left hand and held the wound. Tuxedo Mask turned his gaze towards Serena who had started to come towards him.

"No, Sailor Moon! You must protect Rini," said Tuxedo Mask. "We cannot allow the Nega-Moon to get her. Leave. I'll hold them off."

"No, Tuxedo Mask. We can't desert you. _I_ won't desert you!" said Sailor Moon.

Tuxedo Mask looked at Sailor Moon as tears began to flow down her eyes. Then, his eyes fell on Rini, still in the arms of Sailor Moon. They were filled with tears. "Sailor Moon, you must think about Rini. She's too important to lose all because of me. Go, now. Please go!" he said as he stood on his feet still holding his wound. Tuxedo Mask allowed a wry smile to come onto his face as he nodded at Sailor Moon. Then, Tuxedo Mask ripped four roses in the direction of the Four Sisters. Each rose hit its mark, and sent the Sisters onto their backs. Then, Tuxedo Mask leaped into the air towards Rubeus.

"Sailor Scouts, retreat!" shouted Sailor Moon. The other Scouts looked at her in disbelief. "Move now!" With the second command given, they quickly left the battle as their leader commanded. Sailor Jupiter took Rini from Sailor Moon and continued to carry her away from the Starlight Towers. Sailor Moon glanced back one last time as the battle raged on between Tuxedo Mask and Rubeus. "Darien," she whispered as she felt the hand of Sailor Mars grab her wrist and lead her away from the scene.

"Well it seems that you're outnumbered now, Tuxedo Mask," taunted Rubeus. "There's no way that you can win. Pledge your allegiance to me, and I will let you live a little longer."

Tuxedo Mask was a few feet away still holding his wound. He noticed that the Four Sisters were back up, and had surrounded him. Then, his gaze returned to Rubeus. "You heard what I said, Rubeus. 'Not as long as I'm alive.'"

"Very well," said Rubeus. Then, with the wave of his hand, the Four Sisters unleashed their various blasts of energy at Tuxedo Mask. The light of the explosion engulfed his body completely, and the sound muffled his scream. Once the explosion had died down, Tuxedo Mask was no more.

"Come on girls, let's go back to the ship," said Rubeus.

"Rubeus?! We're just going to let them get away with the Silver Crystal and the brat?!" Prizma protested. "Shouldn't we go and look for them?"

"Of course not, Prizma. Once they find out what's happened to their beloved Tuxedo Mask, they will find us." With that said, the Four Sisters and Rubeus disappeared, leaving only the charred grass and the silence of the night.

"Come now, don't tell me that you didn't expect this," said the Wiseman as he approached Lunar Knight. Lunar Knight was still captivated by horror as he looked at his splitting image walking around him in dark gray robes. "Think about it, in the future, Crystal Tokyo is brought down to its knees. The last line of defense was the four Sailor Scouts trying to protect their queen. Didn't you even wonder what happened to you? The one who swore to his mother to stay with his sister and protect her?"

Lunar Knight looked upon the Wiseman, himself, with disgust. Part of him wanted to lunge out and strangle the Wiseman. This had to be a lie. He would never betray Serena. However, another portion wanted to hear what happened, what could possibly drive him towards betrayal.

"Ah," grinned the Wiseman, "I see that I have piqued your curiosity. Come, follow me. Gaze into the crystal ball, and all shall be revealed." The Wiseman revolved his hands above the orb, as Lunar Knight slowly approached. He glanced at the orb, and then quickly cast a cautious eye back towards the Wiseman, but he was gone. Lunar Knight searched his dark surroundings, but found nothing. His attention returned to the orb, which had begun to glow. Suddenly there was a flash of light…

__

The surroundings of the palace were beautiful. They looked very much like the palace of the Moon Kingdom, but something was different. All the halls were silent, but suddenly they became filled with laughter. The laughter of children. The huge doors to the throne room burst open, and two small children came racing into the hall. One of them was Rini, only much smaller. She couldn't have been any older than two or three years old. With her was another child, a boy. His hair was dark, but not black. It seemed to be a dark violet. The children raced through the hall, with the Luna Ball soaring behind them.

Shortly after the children, a few more people entered the hall. They looked very much like Serena and Darien, only older. They were smiling and walking hand-in-hand. They appeared to glance directly in this direction… As they got closer, the image became bright and vanished.

As the intensity of the bright light faded, another image replaced the previous. A bedroom. A large four-poster bed, with satin silver sheets draped around the posts. In the bed lay a woman, and in her arms was the boy again. She cradled him very closely to chest as she rocked back in forth. However, she seemed to be crying. The image appeared to get closer, or did someone move closer to the image. Is this a memory?

Upon getting closer, the child appears sick. His face is red, and his hair is sweaty and slick. He folded in… Pluto's arms. She holds him like a mother holds a child. She glances towards… me? Tears stream down her eyes as she returns her attention to the child. The child's eyes open, and now they too fall upon… me? A smile starts to spread across the boy's face. He opens his mouth and whispers, "Daddy." Then the sobs of Pluto grow louder and the image begins to brighten again until everything fades away into the light.

The next image flashes to life as a roar of thunder fills the air. Rain falls steadily from the sky. It feels like the rain is pattering upon… my face? Are these my memories? The grass is green, but there is one stone standing before me. A headstone. However, before the stone is a hole in the ground, a open grave. Inside I see the boy asleep in some sort of tube. For a moment it seems like his eyes are open and he's reaching for… me! I try to reach down and grab him, but my hands meet only grass. The grave is now sealed. What is going on?

The headstone. The answers must be there. As I gaze upon the stone… wait this cannot be me, I don't remember this. The stone. I have to read the stone. Perhaps the answers are there. Upon the stone the words are etched in gold: Here lies Prince Lunarius. Son of King Erick and Lady…. The light briefly flashes again, and the next image that pours to life is….

Darkness. Surrounded by darkness, Lunar Knight pulls his head from the stone floor. As he begins to stand, he calls into the darkness, "Wiseman! What was that? Whose memories are those? What do they mean?" Only the echoes of his own voice answered back. Lunar Knight glanced at the orb still floating in the center of the room, glowing. The answers that he desires are all right there. Does the orb hold the truth, or are they lies? Lunar Knight realizes that there's only one way to find out. As he extends his hand toward the globe once again, the blinding light again begins to engulf him.

"We have to find Darien," said Serena. "We need to know that he's all right! He didn't answer at his apartment." Mina and Raye looked at Serena with concern on their faces. As the morning sun rose slowly into the sky, they waited at the temple for Lita and Amy to show up. "We also need to look for Erick. He didn't come home last night. Why is this happening?!"

Serena broke down into tears, and began to drop to her knees. Mina and Raye grabbed her, and helped her sit down on the steps. Once Serena was seated, they begin to embrace her and tried to soothe her pain. They didn't notice Amy and Lita show up, until their shadows blocked the sun.

"Amy! Lita!" said Serena. "Did you find him? Is he all right?"

Amy turned Lita, who caught the glance and moved closer towards Serena. Amy, whose hands were behind her back, extended them towards Serena. The object that was in her hands was released into Serena's. Before looking, Serena noticed that tears were forming in Amy's eyes as she released the object. Serena opened her hands to find the mask of Tuxedo Mask in her hands, both charred and frayed. "It was all we could find, Serena. I'm sorry," sobbed Amy.

"NO!!" cried Serena as she fell to the ground. "It can't be! No please! NO!!" Mina and Lita fell to her side, and tried to comfort Serena as tears flowed from their eyes too. "Why did I leave him? I should have stayed."

__

The same palace chamber, only darker. Why? Everyone has their heads hung. The Queen, Serena, she is crying. "Please don't go," she cries. However the image swirls around, and now someone is blocking the door. They don't want… me… to leave. It's Sailor Pluto, and she has Rini in her arms. Again there are tears upon her face, she also doesn't want… me… to leave. It seems like… I… am going around her, and out of the door. As… I… exit, the image again becomes very bright.

As the brightness fades, it seems that this place is different. There is wreckage all around. Conduits are exploding with sparks and fire is spouting out of the wreckage. A hand… my hand… comes into focus. It's covered with blood. There are two young men reaching for me through the flames. One has white hair and the other blue hair. They look very much alike like brothers. As their hands approach me, the brightness begins to engulf me again.

A new image reappears, its cold. There's no snow, or anything else. It feels as if my soul is freezing. Is it… my… soul? The room is empty. The image seems to move, as if I… someone… just stood up. Now, everything is moving, like I… someone… I am walking. I reach for the doorknob to pull it open. As I do so, there is nothing, but blackness there. As I stare at it, I feel something reach out, and pull me inside. Something that I loathe, something that I hate! Yet, I don't struggle. I don't resist. Instead I embrace it. I embrace the dark. I embrace the hate. I embrace the pain. I embrace the… evil.

Slowly everything is swallowed into the blackness. Everything that was me, is gone. I am different now. I am no longer who I was. I want pain. I want pleasure. I want death. I can truly feel it inside of me now. I want power. I want absolute power. I want the kingdom that is rightfully mine. And anyone standing in my way, even my sister… especially my sister… will be destroyed.

Lunar Knight awoke on the floor again. This time he found that he was not alone, and that the Wiseman was with him. However, he was hooded once again. As Lunar Knight rose to his feet, a smile began to grow on his face. He looked into what seemed to be the eyes of the Wiseman. The Wiseman raised his hand, and pointed in a direction. As Lunar Knight turned in that direction, he saw the crystal ball.

Lunar Knight began to walk in that direction. As he reached out towards the floating orb, he could feel the dark power surging within it. He could also feel the dark power surging within him, coursing through his veins in his very blood. He could feel the powers calling out to each other, the orb calling out to him. All he had to do was touch it, and he would be complete. The pain and the yearning, now cursing his body would cease if only he would touch it.

Lunar Knight's hand was only inches away from touching the orb. For some reason he stopped. He felt slightly dizzy, and he faltered. He reached to grab his temple and shook off the sensation, but it happened again.

"What is wrong with you?" asked the Wiseman. "The orb before you will erase the pain. All you have to do is touch it. Then, the pain will be gone. You will be free! The power will be yours. You will be unstoppable. Can't you taste it?! Go ahead touch the orb and feel the true power of the Nega-Moon! The power of your birthright!"

Lunar Knight reached once again for the orb. The pain inside him was stronger than ever. He reached for the orb to ease the pain. The slightest touch and it would all go away. He fell to his knees, still trying to grasp the orb. With the orb only a few millimeters away, Lunar Knight fell into another wave of bright light as he felt his hand graze the orb.

"Stupid Serena!" complained Rini as she marched off the elevator. "I don't know why she didn't want me to come and see Darien. If she's upset with him that shouldn't mean that I can't spend time with him. Come on, Luna Ball. His apartment's this way."

The young pink-haired girl marched down the hallway towards Darien's door. She rapped lightly on the door. "Come in," she heard someone say. Rini turned the knob to find the apartment was dark. As she, and her Luna Ball, entered the door closed behind them.

"There you are you little brat!" shouted Avery completely blocking the door. 

Rini shouted and ran deeper into the apartment. "Darien! Darien! Help!"

"Oh you won't find him her little girl," said Bertie, as Rini bumped into her leg. "It looks like you're all alone. Check and mate."

As Bertie reached to grab Rini, Luna Ball smashed squarely into Bertie's nose. Bertie let out a shriek of pain as she grabbed her nose. "Someone give me a compact! Hurry! That stupid ball could have totally ruined my nose!"

Catzi dropped a compact in front of Bertie and started to chase Rini around the apartment. As they ran into the kitchen, Rini pulled the stove open as well as the refrigerator door. Catzi tripped on the open oven door, and her face smashed into the door of the refrigerator. "I'm going to kill that little brat!" howled Catzi as she held her forehead and rolled off of the oven door.

Rini had reappeared in the living room, and was headed for the door. However, Prizma had papered right in front of her, and Avery was still blocking the door. "Looks like you little game of tag is over, twerp. Now, you're coming with us," proclaimed Prizma. Suddenly Luna Ball was soaring at top speed at Prizma's head. Prizma ducked and the Luna Ball smashed Avery's head against the door. As Prizma leaned over to grab Rini, the Luna Ball bounced off of Avery's head and smashed Prizma and the back of the head, sending both Sisters to the floor.

Rini ran for the door, but eventually felt someone lift her up before she could reach it. "Put me down!" shouted Rini, as she kicked in the air.

"Oh I don't think so, kid. As of now, you're Sailor Bait," said Rubeus.

"The Sailor Scouts are going to make you pay for this, you big bully," Rini squeaked.

"Oh I doubt that, your highness. You see, this sword is stronger than 100 of your Sailor friends. When they come to rescue you, they'll end up Sailor Memories," said Rubeus.

"Oh yeah, well, Tuxedo Mask and Lunar Knight…" began Rini.

"Won't be coming to the party. Tuxedo Mask was destroyed last night. And pretty soon, Lunar Knight will be out of the way as well. It's over Small Lady. The bad guys won this time," said Rubeus as he laughed.

The Luna Ball started to soar at Rubeus, but he managed to catch it with one hand. "Take a message ball! Tell the girl's guardians that we have Rini, and we will kill her unless Sailor Moon surrenders the Silver Crystal to me at the Starlight Towers tonight at midnight." 

After leaving his message, Rubeus and the battered Four Sisters disappeared from the room. Luna Ball quickly soared out of the window and towards the Cherry Hill temple in search of help.

__

The bright light remained this time. There seems to be nothing here, but then a boy appears in the distance. He seems to be approaching… me. He looks at me and smiles. He holds out his arms like he wants me to embrace him. As I reach out to him, he cringes away. As I turn, I see the large blackness approaching. When I turn around, I see the blackness coming towards me… no, coming towards the boy in every direction.

He's still reaching out towards me. The darkness has surpassed me, it doesn't want me, it wants him. He's afraid. He's still calling out to me. "DADDY!" His screams echo through me. He's calling for his father. Is he calling for me? "DADDY! HELP ME! I'm scared…." His cries are being muffled by the darkness. I run to him with my hand outstretched. Trying to reach him. Something has grabbed my leg. The darkness. As I turn, I see that the orb is also within my reach. It's closer to me than the boy. Perhaps if I grab it, I can save him too. The sobs of the child recapture my attention. He's afraid. Tears are falling from his eyes. I try to reach him, but he's just too far. The orb… is it my only chance. 

As I start to reach for the orb, I notice the screams of the boy die away. He's farther away. There's no way I can reach him. I refocus my attention on the boy, and he seems closer, however the orb has moved directly in front of my face. The boy is terrified, and calling for his father. He's calling for…. He's calling for me. I try to reach for the boy, but now the orb is in front of me blocking the way. "DADDY!"

With all the might I can muster, I smash the orb. The shards of glass disappear as if it were never there. The darkness loses its hold upon me, and I touch him. I hold him in my arms. I feel my soul become warm, as if set on fire. "Daddy," says the boy as he rests within my arms. I begin to hear the laughter as I find myself within the palace halls again. As I look up from my embrace with the boy, I see the younger Rini in Serena's arms as she stands next to Darien. I see the Sailor Scouts, and I see the Sailor Pluto with her arms open. The boy runs from my arms, and into hers. They boy turns back towards me and waves, "Bye daddy."

Lunar Knight awakens, but finds himself at the Gate of Time. As he rises to his feet, he notices Sailor Pluto on the other side of the gate. "I'm sorry, I failed," said Lunar Knight. As the gate opens, Lunar Knight slowly walks through. His gaze never falls from her eyes. He looks deeply into them as if searching for something.

"You did not fail. You broke the Wiseman's cycle," responded Sailor Pluto. "I had every confidence that you would succeed, your Highness." Sailor Pluto noticed how Lunar Knight was staring at her. "Is there something wrong?"

"The visions that I saw," said Lunar Knight. "You were there, holding a child. I assumed that he was my son. Are you…"

"This is not the _time_ to concern yourself with that," said Sailor Pluto. "You must return to the present, your friends are in danger. The one called Rubeus has Small Lady. Sailor Moon and the other Sailor Scouts do not stand a chance now that he has the Sword of Lunarius."

"Lunarius," said Lunar Knight to himself.

"You must hurry, and remember that only the combined power of the true bloodline of Lunarius will supercede the Rubeus' control over the sword," said Sailor Pluto.

"Right," said Lunar Knight, "but the visions… were they memories?"

"You will find the aid that you need at the end of the passage before you return to the present," said Sailor Pluto. Then, the mist began to rise and Sailor Pluto was gone.

"This is a trap," said Sailor Venus as she peaked through he bushes, "I can feel it in my bones."

"We don't have a choice," said Sailor Jupiter. "That creep has Rini. What's the plan Sailor Moon?"

"Come on," said Sailor Moon as she stood up. The other Sailor Scout were shocked and proceeded after her. "We're here Rubeus! Come out now, and give us Rini!"

"I'm amazed by your attitude, Miss Moon. I was certain that you would have been too afraid to show up, especially with Tuxedo Mask and Lunar Knight out of the way," said Rubeus.

"What have you done to Lunar Knight?!" cried Sailor Mars.

"Business first ladies, then pleasure," said Rubeus. "Now, where is the Silver Crystal?"

"You show us Rini, first," said Sailor Mercury. Rubeus snapped his fingers and the Four Sister materialized holding Rini firmly.

Rubeus drew his sword and pointed directly at Rini. "Now, give me the crystal Sailor Moon before she ends up like Tuxedo Mask."

"Not this time, Rubeus," said a voice from behind. Rubeus turned around to see Lunar Knight's Lunar Saber slicing towards him. Rubeus rolled out of the way of the attack. "What's the matter Rubeus, scared to see me!"

"I don't know how this is possible," began Rubeus. "Nevertheless, I'll enjoy destroying you with your own father's sword!" Rubeus lunged at Lunar Knight. Every blow that Rubeus tossed, Lunar Knight blocked. "I've had enough of this game. Farewell Lunar Knight!" Rubeus aimed the sword at Lunar Knight, and unleashed a huge wave of black energy.

"Lunar… Sheild… Eclipse!!!" yelled Lunar Knight as he raised his forearm in front of him. The energy wave clashed against the clear energy shield that formed, but didn't manage to break through. Rubeus stood watching in awe as Lunar Knight escaped his attack unscathed. "You're strong with the sword, Rubeus, but not strong enough. Only those of the bloodline can call upon the swords ultimate powers. Sailor Moon, use your Moon Scepter, and together we can stop Rubeus!"

Sailor Moon nodded, and revealed her Moon Scepter. "Cosmic… Moon… Power!!!" cried Sailor Moon.

"Lunar… Celestial… Wake!!!" shouted Lunar Knight.

As the energy poured from their weapons they collided with the Sword of Lunarius in Rubeus' hand. With all of his might Rubeus tried to maintain control of the sword. Then, a surge of energy exploded in his hand. The energy beams from their weapons then engulfed the sword. The sword seemed to disappear, and the beams returned to the weapons of Sailor Moon and Lunar Knight.

"Ahh!" shouted Rubeus. "The sword? Where's the sword?!"

"Where it belongs Rubeus, within the bloodline," said Lunar Knight.

"Sisters! Kill the girl!" cried Rubeus.

The Four Sisters fired their energy beams at Rini just as they had done to Tuxedo Mask. The explosion engulfed her, and the eyes of the Sailor Scouts were full of shock. "I warned you not to cross me, Sailor Moon!"

"You missed me," came Rini's voice. Everyone looked into the air to find Rini safe in the arms of Tuxedo Mask. Once they were safe on the ground, behind the Sailor Scouts, Rini gave a raspberry to Rubeus. "I told you so!"

Filled with rage, Rubeus disappeared, as did the Four Sisters. The Scouts all paraded around Tuxedo Mask and Rini. "Tuxedo Mask, how did you escape?" asked Sailor Moon.

"Sailor Pluto, rescued me just before the attack from the Sisters managed to hit me," explained Tuxedo Mask.

"And where were you, Lunar Knight?" asked Sailor Mars.

Lunar Knight looked down at Rini, and took her into his arms, "Making sure that Nega-Moon won't be able to do anything like this again. Not now, and not in the future."


End file.
